Bacharach and the Middle Rhine Valley

Bacharach

Bacharach is first mentioned in records as far back as 871 and from the earliest times the town was known for cultivating and selling wine. By the Middle Ages, Bacharach had already established its reputation as the principle storage station for Mittelrhein, Nahe and Rheingau wines and had become one of the best-known wine-producing towns.

Bacharach is also the tourist hub of the municipality. Still medieval in character, the town has over the years attracted large numbers of visitors who come to see its ancient fortifications, Stahleck Castle (now one of the most attractive youth hostels in the Rhine valley), the Gothic Wernerkapelle and the ruined castle of Stahlberg in nearby Steeg. And with an extensive network of hiking trails, boat trips on the Rhine and wine-tasting, plus more than its fair share of welcoming hotels and restaurants, visitors to Bacharach will find plenty of ways to relax and unwind.

The Middle Rhine – a World Heritage Site

This part of the Rhine gorge, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, has many interesting sights, including the famous rock where, according to legend, the siren Loreley lured sailors to their death on the treacherous reef below.

The Upper Middle Rhine Valley, with its principle towns St. Goar, St. Goarshausen and Bacharach, is a popular tourist area where visitors can enjoy a varied programme of festivals and events all year round. At the Deutsches Eck in Koblenz, where the Moselle flows into the Rhine, stand two of the region’s finest and most impressive buildings – Stolzenfels Castle and the fortress of Ehrenbreitstein. For fans of watersports, there is plenty going on along the Rhine and, for those newly in love, what better way to pass the time than with a romantic ferry trip along the river, enjoying the picturesque landscape of the wonderful ‘Mittelrhein’?

There is also plenty for visitors to see in the Lower Middle Rhine area between Koblenz and Bonn. A trip to the historic town of Remagen with its world-famous bridge and accompanying museum should be a must on any itinerary and the historic centre of Neuwied is always worth a detour (look out for the peacock in the town’s coat of arms!)